How Avoiding Vanity Has Saved Me Thousands of Dollars

Facebook is certainly a time suck, but it can also be a fun way to catch up with old friends and even high school acquaintances.  Just yesterday, I followed a rabbit hole of people I had known in high school, which ultimately led to Kimmie’s page.

Where Beauty and Fashion Meet

I’m sure you had a Kimmie in your high school.  She is pretty–perhaps beautiful.  She wears stylish clothes and is one of the most popular girls in high school.  Her parents have a lot of money and are happy to spend that money on their kids.

The Kimmie I went to school with married her high school sweetheart, who was a popular prep himself.  Thanks to their Facebook pages, I see that they now have three equally beautiful children.

What struck me most, though, was how pretty Kimmie still is.  Some popular,  pretty high school girls don’t age well, but at 42, Kimmie is just as pretty, if not prettier, than she was in high school.  She looks like she could be a model for a fashionable clothing line.  Not just because of her face, but because of the stylish, chic way she dressed.

For a moment, a part of me was a bit envious of her put together, stylish look.  But that thought quickly disappeared because I have neither the time nor the inclination to be a fashion plate like Kimmie.  (Besides, there’s no way I could pull that look off as well as she does!)

How Not Being Vain Has Saved Me Thousands of Dollars

Women like Kimmie make looking beautiful easy, but I know a lot of time goes into picking just the right clothes, make up, and hair styles.  I also know it can be very expensive.

Thanks to my lack of vanity and acceptance that I will never be one of the Kimmie’s of the world, I estimate I’ve saved thousands of dollars.

Here are some of the ways:

Embrace the Features I Have

I would love, love, love to have naturally straight hair, but I was born with naturally curly hair that has become curlier after each pregnancy.  Rather than spending time and money straightening my hair regularly, I instead bought a bottle of hair gel to tame the curls and make them more manageable.  This one bottle lasts forever!

Take Advantage of DIY

My hair began to go grey when I was 23, long before I had children.  By 25, I had to have it dyed for the first time to cover up the grey.  I had my hair dyed professionally for about six years.  However, for the last ten years, my husband has dyed it for me at home.  Every time he does so, we easily save $40 to $60.

Avoid Being a Trend Follower

I tend to rely on the same classic clothes and colors.  I don’t follow trends.  This allows me to wear the same clothes for years without looking particularly in or out of style at any moment.  This also allows me to buy classic pieces at garage sales and second hand stores for a fraction of the retail price.

A Kimmie I will never be, nor do I want to.  Instead, I rely on practicality, and doing so has saved me thousands of dollars.

How do you cut costs on personal appearance, care, and grooming?  If you like to follow fashion trends, how do you keep it affordable?

MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.